Refrigeration cabinet with condensation preventing means



March 28, 1950 JAMES 2,502,219

REFRIGERATION CABINET WITH CONDENSATION PREVENTING MEANS Filed Nov. 50", 1946 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

INVENTOR.

I P. E. JAMES REFRIGERATION CABINET WITH CONDENSATION PREVENTING MEANS '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

March Z8, 1950 Flled Nov 50, 1946 Patented Mar. 28, 1950 REFRIGERATION CABINET WITH CON- DEN SATION PREVENTING MEANS Paul E. James, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,346

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to refrigeration cabinets and more particularly to a refrigeration cabinet of the freezer type having means included therein to prevent condensation on the exterior surface of the cabinet.

Condensation on the exterior surface of refrigeration industry. Such condensation is undesirable for it permits water to drip from the cabinet; in addition, condensation damages the finish of the cabinet and eventually rusts the metal forming the cabinet wall. Various attempts have been made to solve the problem without success. For example, it has been proposed to employ a double balloon on the sealing gasket.

, Such construction has not been satisfactory for it has resulted in condensation between the balloons when the door of the cabinet is open and freezing when the door is closed. This is particularly serious when the cabinet is employed as a freezer; at the low temperatures maintained in the storage compartmentof a freezer, such condensation quickly freezes, tightly securing the door in place and preventing opening thereof when it is desired to remove or to place produce in the compartment for storage.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration cabinet which includes means for obviating the collection of condensate at the exterior wall of the cabinet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration cabinet in which a baffle is, disposed between the storage compartment and that portion of the exterior cabinet wall lying within the sealing means to prevent ready flow of cold air against such portion. Since cold air is prevented from contacting such surface when the door is closed, such portion is not cooled to the temperature of the storage compartment; thus, the exterior exposed wall is not cooled to any substantial extent below the temperature of the ambient atmosphere so that moisture from the atmosphere does not condense thereon. In addition, such construction permits moisture which might condense on such surface when the door to the storage compartment is open to migrate into the storage compartment when the door is closed, preventing freezing when the cabinet is in use. I

This invention relates to a refrigeration cabinet which comprises a storage compartment adapted to be maintained at a temperature below the wall sealing the opening, and means disposed between the storage compartment and the exterior wall at said opening to obstruct the flow of cold air from the storage compartment against that portion of the exterior wall extending interiorly of the sealing means.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a refrigeration cabinet embodying the present invention, a door of the cabinet being removed to illustrate the baflle member;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 of a sectional view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown arefrigeration cabinet 2 including a storage compartment 3 and a machine compartment 4 for the accommodation of compressor and associated elements (not shown) of the refrigeration system. As is customary, the compressor, condenser, driving mechanism, etc. are placed in the machine compartment, and a suitable heat exchanger or evaporator is placed in the storage compartment and connected to the condenser and compressor by suitable conduits. These elements .per se form no part of my invention and consequently are not shown in detail.

The cabinet 2 includes longitudinal frame members at its corners and connecting elements are provided between the various corner members to form the whole into a unitary frame for the cabinet. An exterior metal shell or wall 5 having any suitable decorative surface conceals the frame. Interiorly of the frame there is provided an interior liner or wall 6 which forms the storage compartment 3. Insulation 7 of any suitable type, for example, mineral wool, fiberboard, corkboard, or the like is placed between walls 5 and 6 surrounding compartment 3 on all sides.

A mullion 8 divides one side of the storage compartment into a plurality of openings 9 to permit access to the compartment for placement and removal of stored foodstuffs, for example. Mullion 8 is composed of an outer exposed metal wall Ill and an inner metal wall ll. Insulation material I2 is disposed between such walls. Openings 9 are surrounded by the usual jambs 63 which are composed of breaker strips M secured to flanges l5 and I6 of mullion walls Hi and H and flanges (not shown) of shell 5 and liner 6 thus preventing conduction between liner. 6 and shell 5. Breaker strips l4 attached to flanges l5 and I6 form side walls of mullion 8.

Doors ll are suitably mounted on cabinet 2 to close openings 9. Resilient gaskets it of any suitable composition are attached to the interior surface of doors ll extending about the openings and are adapted to be compressed against the exterior walls and Ill when the dooris closed to seal the openings preventing esc'ape of cold air from the storage compartment to the ambient atmosphere. It will be noted (refer to FiguresZ and 3) a portion of wall 5 and a portion of mullion wall I!) extend interiorly of the sealing g 'askets l8 so as to be exposed to the cold air of compartment 5. Such construction gives rise to the problem of condensation iorthis cold'metal portion by conduction reduces the temperature of the exposed surfaces below the temperature of ambient atmosphere causingmoisture to eondense thereon. x

I have found that the temperature of such wall portions may be raised substantially above the temperature maintained in the storage compartmentby obstructing or blockingthe flow of cold air from the 'compartment against such portions. For this purpose, I interpose barrier or bafile members [9 between the storage compartment and such portions of walls 5 and Ill. Members l9 ma be composed of 'a'resilient balloon portion Z B termi'na'ting in an "extended flange 2!. The

ifla n g e fil is adapted to be disposed beneath the breaker Ijstrips, between the breaker strip and flanges T6 of walls '5 and 'I ll thereby further insulating such portions from exposure to the cold air of the compartment. The flange 2| may be securedin place by the same fastening means employed .to secu'r'e the breaker strips to the fiangesofsh'ell 5 andmullion wall iii, the'rebysecuring theballoon"portion '2!) in position between the door and the breaker strip to retard flow of and 'airjag'jainst such extended Wall portions.

'Suc'hbafile members I'S may be disposed about the openings, if desired, or inerely adjacent the mullion '8 where the problem of condensation is rn'es'tacut'e. It isessential in'in invention, howeverfthat's'uchib'afile's IQ do not form a seal betwenthe breakerstrip and the door. If 'a seal weiieferinedwhenthe door is' opened, condensate w en form on'th'e extended portions of walls-5 and"lll; whenthe door'is again closed, such 'oondensate would freeze, tightly holding or looking the "door in its closed position. To assure that :baiile members l'ildo "not form a seal, I preferably provide "paths 22 for the migration to the storage'compartment of any condensate which might 'forin on such portions. Preferably, the

baiile members do not extend completely about the opening permitting paths 22 to be formed therebetween for themigration of moisture. If desired, openings such as notches (not shown) may be provided in each baille Hi to form a'path to prevent flow of cold air against the portions of the exterior wall disposed within the seal.

My invention provides simple and inexpensive means for obviating collection of condensation at exposed wall surfaces of a refrigeration cabinet. I A refrigeration cabinet embodying the pres- "ent invention doesnot present the problem of 4 condensation at the center mullion, and such result is achieved without sacrifice of the decorative appearance of the cabinet and without a substantial increase in cost of manufacture.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigeration cabinet, the combination of a shell, a liner disposed within the shell forming a storage compartment, insulation material disposed between the shell and the liner, said storage compartment having an opening therein, a mullion dividing the opening into a plurality of smaller openings, the edge portions of the exterior wall of the mullion extending within said openings, breaker strips disposed at the openings forming side walls of the mullion, doors closing the openings, a portion of each door extending adjacent the exterior mullion wall, gaskets disposed between said door portions and the mullion w'all'sealing the spaces "therebetween, and resilient baille members disposed between the doors and the breaker strips obstructing the 'fiowof cold air from the storage compartment against the edge portions of theexterior mullion wall without sealing the spaces between the gasket and the baffle members from the storage compartment, each baflle member having a flange extending in a direction parallel to the body of the baiile and fittingbeneath the breaker strip to secure the 'baiiie member in position in the opening, said bafiie members havin'gopeni-ngs therein to permit condensate collected 'on'the edge'portions of the mullion wall within the gaskets to migrate to the storage compartment.

2 In a refrigeratorc'abinet the combination of -*a shel1,'a liner disposed within-the shell forming a storage oonripa'rtmerit, insulation material disposed betweenthesliell and the liner, said storage compartment having an opening therein a mullion dividing the opening into a plurality of smaller openings, the'e'dge portions of the exte'riorwall'of the mullion extendingwithin said openings, breaker strips disposed'at the openings io'rinin'g -*sid'e walls of -themul1ion, doors closing the openings, a portion ofeach door extending 'adjacent the exterior mullio'n wall, 'resilient members secured to the door'extending between the'dodr'arid tl'ie cabinet, eachmember including PAUL JAR LES.

-REFER-ENCES -CITED The following'references are ofrec'ordin the fil'e of this patent:

UNITED STATES-PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent N 0. 2,502,219 March 28, 1950 PAUL E. JAMES It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: I l

Column 1, line 7, before the word industry insert cabinets has long been a serious problem in the refrigeration; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of July, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant O'ommissioner of Patents. 

